Chapter 5-House Arrest
It was too big of a risk she decided, she needed reinforcements and magic. Powerful magic. That could stop an Everafter such as Puck. She grinned remembering when she'd avoided all of his magical security guards, and so he'd handcuffed her to him so she couldn't run off and do anything reckless. She'd turn the tides on him, however with a bit more of an oomph. She slipped silently out of the house on the magic carpet knowing that she was safe from the shadow man who currently was only after Puck and had no eyes for anyone else. She turned down onto a street and lowered the carpet in front of the one house she would rather never enter again. She hesitantly knocked on the door of the home of Baba Yaga.
"What! You're ruining my soaps!" The old witch bellowed, complaining about the newest episode of her soap operas. Again. The door swung open and slammed against the window cracking it. She waved her hand and it easily repaired itself.
"Oh, it you, what do you want?" She asked slightly annoyed and curious at the same time.
"May I come in?" Sabrina asked anxiously
"I'd thought this'd be the last home you'd ever want to enter of your own free will." She mumbled stepping to the side and allowing her to pass. Sabrina sat in a fluffy armchair like the one the hag herself sat in, and they finished watching her soap opera before continuing their conversation.
"So, what do you want Sabrina?"
"I need your help."
"Well that, my dear, is obvious." Babb Yaga cackled, "People only come to me if they need my help."
"That's probably because you threaten to eat people," Sabrina grumbled
"Oh, I do more than threaten." She said maliciously "I recall threatening to eat you as well? You're braver than most."
"I need to save Puck! I need something so that he can't leave the house! Or so that he has to stay with me, or someone and he can't sneak off!" Sabrina said desperately
"Have you tried handcuffs?" Old Mother snickered.
"Can you enchant them so that they won't come off without a spell from you?" Sabrina asked hopefully
"Wow, you're desperate. Why didn't you ask your sister for something like this? She could have done it very easily as well you know."
"Puck would have made her undo it. He knows I probably wouldn't come here of my own free will, so I doubt that he would possibly think that you would do something like this for me, besides, you're not as easily intimidated as most people." Baby Yaga, cocked her head, acknowledging that as the truth.
"What do you need for something like this?" Sabrina asked dreading the answer. There was a moment of silence as Babba Yaga thought about it.
"I had something else in mind, but I enjoyed the company watching my soap operas, no one else agrees with me on any of the people, but you did! I'll give it to you if you come to watch them with me once a week."
"That's it?" Sabrina asked dumbfounded
"I could ask for your eyes." She retorted
"I don't have magic; my eyes would be useless to you." Sabrina snapped as Baba Yaga shrugged,
"Doesn't mean that I wouldn't ask for them!" She giggled.
"Deal," Sabrina said smiling. The Witch waved her hand over a pair of handcuffs that glowed for a moment before fading to the original steel color.
"Come to me when you're done, and I will undo the spell. In the meantime, I will see you next week, bring Puck along, if you're still joined at the hip! Tata!" She ushered Sabrina out the door quickly and into the bitter night air. She unraveled the ragged old rug, sat down, and immediately rocketed off towards her parents' home. Walking through the door quietly she slipped down to the guest room and tapped quietly on the bedroom door. There was no answer, she opened it, and saw Puck fast asleep on the bed. Snickering she slipped silently into his room and slipped the bracelet over each of there wrists, then settled down for the night in the rocking chair next to the bed. 'oh, this is going to be funny.' She thought to herself eagerly waiting for the explosion next morning, knowing that it was going to be a good one, and he'd finally see what type of torment he'd put her through! Slowly she drifted off, still giggling at what tomorrow would bring, as well as slightly terrified, knowing how angry he could get when he really wanted, very rare, but intimidating when directed at you, as it typically was her, he was angry with.
When she woke up, she could tell that she'd slept a solid eight or nine hours, surprised at not having been woken up earlier, she peeked her eyes open, to see him standing in front of her with his hands on his hips (hers hanging halfway through the air) and the most horrifying expression she'd ever seen on anyone's face, including when Baba Yaga had threatened and attempted to eat her. The outrage was the worst she'd ever seen him. She flinched and shrank back into the rocking chair, as though attempting to hide from him.
"SABRINA!" Bellowed throughout the house, the echo was so powerful the house shook and dust fell from the ceiling, she knew he'd magically amplified it, but it did have a nice effect, she did have to give him credit for that.
"You have exactly three seconds to give me the key!"
"Or what?" She taunted standing up from the rocking chair
"You- "He reached for her, and she screamed and ran to where people were so she would have witnesses in case he attempted to murder her, Puck was dragged along until he had the sense to plant his feet so neither of them could move. She grabbed his wrist in both of hers and began tugging attempting to drag him towards the landing where she knew the house was waiting on pins and needles to find out what had happened.
"You are going to fix this, right now." He emphasized vehemently
"This is me fixing it." She retorted, "You weren't willing to listen, and you would have done something stupid to get yourself killed, besides. This is payback for when you did it!"
"Ya, when we were eleven"
"no. when I was eleven! You were four thousand! So, don't give me the this is childish lecture, you've never grown up!" She contradicted. Finally, people began to trickle up the staircase to the landing, curiosity getting the better of everyone. Howls of laughter emanated from the foot of the stairs as they saw the source of the commotion.
"Well, I can't say that this is the method I myself would have gone with, however, I think it's deserved, Puck." Daphne chortled, ducking as he threw something at her. Everyone laughed harder, apart from the two who were currently the victims.
"Where's the key Grimm." He said angrily, turning his attention back to her.
"I don't have one, they're magic." She said smiling,
"Daphne, fix this!" He demanded, the girl sighed and waved her wand through the air, but nothing happened. "How is this possible?" she demanded, "Uncle Jake?" Jake waved his wand but with the same disappointing results.
"Ah, it's like the barrier, only the person who cast the spell can remove it." Sorry Puck looks like your stuck for the time being." Uncle Jake clapped him sympathetically on the shoulder and retreated down the staircase.
"Who cast the spell puke face?" He bellowed, spittle flying in her face as he towered over her and backed her up until she was literally holding on to his shirt to keep from falling down the stairs. She stared up appearing way calmer than she actually felt. In reality, she wanted to run away from him and hide.
"I'm not saying!" She snapped, he leaned farther and eventually she did fall backwards, pulling Puck with her they tumbled down two flights of stairs and landed in a heap by the front door.
"Ow, that hurt." She grumbled rubbing her sore butt.
"Your own dang fault, we're stuck in this mess, but as soon as you tell me who cast the spell, we will get this fixed!" He shouted again.
"Could you please stop yelling? It's getting ridiculous!"
"Oh, I'm sorry, is it bothering you?" He magnified his voice magically again, yelling until her head pounded.
"Okay, shut up and I'll tell you! It was Babba Yaga!"
"WHAT?! She despises you! What kind of deal did you have to make with the hag, there's always a price! Especially if it was for you!"
"We have to go and watch Keeping up with the Kardashian's once a week." She replied calmly, untangling herself so she could stand up, and appear slightly more dignified.
"We?" He asked
"Until we get unattached, yes. You have to come along, and she won't undo it until we put a stop to the shadow man." She informed him before he could attempt to go and see the hag.
"We'll see about that." He snapped, "Come on."
"Oh, are we going for a walk?" She asked teasingly, he growled and dragged her towards the door. "She'll be very angry if we interrupt her soaps." She warned him, attempting to pull him back, she held on to the door frame, with both hands as he attempted to continue walking. Returning, he grabbed her fingertips and pried them off the door, and continued. Then with one mighty thrust, they were both airborne.
"Puck this reeeally hurts" She screamed in tears as the metal dug into her wrists. He scowled and grabbed both of her wrists in his so she wasn't hanging by the cuffs.
"Thank you." She mumbled embarrassed as they landed in front of her chicken house.
"Hag! Fix this mess! This is your doing! You don't even like her!"
"She's grown on me." The witch replied, slamming the door shut and sending her guards to scare off the fairy king. He growled and spun on his heel, leaping towards the sky,
"Hey! Woah!" Sabrina yelled
"Gah!" He yelled in anger tugging his arm up so he could grab her wrist.
"What if this takes a year, to figure out, what if we never fix this! How am I supposed to go to the bathroom, or change, or shower!"
"Since when do you need a shower, you went four thousand years without one!" She retorted
"Magic wand to change, and I had her put an expanding spell on them, so you can go ten feet outside of my proximity, and the bathroom is only six feet wide. So, you're good." She said smiling exuberantly
"But on the bright side, you're not trapped inside the house!"
"And what are the humans going to think when they see handcuffs on our wrists."
"They're magical, Puck, only the immortals can see them," Sabrina said a little impatiently.
"Ugh! Alright! I will fix this in myself, in the meantime, keep up, I don't want to slow my pace down so you can play catch up." He snapped strutting off,
"Where are we going?" Sabrina asked curiously.
"I'm testing out your cuffs to see if they detour the Shadow."
"So, we're just going to wander the streets aimlessly, until he finds us?"
"I guarantee he'll find us any minute." Puck said. He was right.
They wandered the streets for the short span of fifteen minutes when the shadow slowly glided in front of them.
"I admire your dedication to your friend, but it is futile." The Shadow swooped towards Puck, and the same suffocating feeling and darkness swept over the both of them. The duration, however, lasted less than a minute this time. Sabrina panicked, as her eyes were still readjusting
"Puck?" She yelled
"Would you stop bellowing? I'm right here." He grumbled in annoyance. Sabrina sighed in relief leaning back against the concrete.
"It worked!" She said, "He can't control you if you're attached to someone else!"
"Goody." Puck snapped, returning to his moody self. Sabrina frowned, thoroughly confused as to why he was treating her so cruelly.
"Will you please tell me why you're so angry with me?" She asked for once trying to be polite rather than demanding the answer.
"I don't think it will do anyone any good for me to tell you." He replied bitterly, continuing his walk at a very brisk pace, Sabrina practically jogging to keep up with him. Eventually, she decided the best solution was to just sit there until he talked things over with her. She sat back down on the concrete and he came to a sudden halt, as he was now being held back. Sabrina slid over to the curb and patted the spot next to her, and smiled up at him.
"Come on, or I'll carry you." He demanded angrily, Sabrina shook her head, attempting to remain a bit more relaxed than she actually felt. He huffed and sat down, and began tracing his finger in the dirt.
"I was engaged." Came his short reply. Sabrina was totally unprepared for that response. She sucked in a surprised breath. "Oh, um congratulations!" She said attempting to be happy for him, but her voice cracked and she cut off before it could betray her anymore. He flinched at her false cheerfulness.
"Why didn't you tell me though?" She asked, feigning hurt she leaned over and bumped his shoulder, hoping he'd think she was teasing and not genuinely curious, but still answer the question. He scowled and leaned back staring up at the sky.
"Wanna talk about this somewhere more private?" He asked gesturing to the curious people glancing their way, as they sat in the gutter practically.
"Where did you have in mind?" She asked casually, Puck held out his arms and swooped down and picked her up, he ascended slowly this time, taking his time and not in such a hurry. He flew in silence for a while, not knowing what to say. It was over. But it had been a three-year relationship, and he didn't know how Sabrina would feel if he told her about her.
"Let's land somewhere and talk?' Sabrina suggested after some time. She pointed to a ledge near a cliff. He landed and set her down gently. One of the best things about having Puck around is that your fear for heights instantly vanishes.
She quickly righted herself, and settled down by the edge of the cliff, expecting a long conversation. Puck sat next to her, accidentally knocking her over sideways as he sat on the wrong side and the cuffs pulled her over.
"Watch it buster." She said teasingly sitting up again. She was trying her hardest to pretend to be happy, although, in reality, she thought, who was this woman! Was she immortal? Do I know her? Why didn't he tell me? Why haven't I seen her with him? All of these questions swam through her mind, and took all of her concentration and effort to not burst into tears in front of the one person who must never see!
"Is that why you were so mad? Cause you're worried your fiancé might see us together?" Sabrina asked, attempting at a casual tone.
"I said was engaged. Not am." He said.
"Then why were you so mad, and trying too hard to keep me from finding out if it's over? I mean, not that I'd really care anyways." She rambled on pathetically
"Because you do care, and I care."
"Why would you care? Especially if you're not together anymore?" Sabrina asked
"Because she was going to come back and see me this weekend, she wanted to talk, and see if we'd be able to work things out." He mumbled, tossing rocks off of the cliff in irritation.
"Oh… Well, so then there's still a chance things will work out for you guys!" She feigned happiness for him. Trying her hardest to sound upbeat, while her heat slowly shattered into a million pieces.
"I was serious, things are over between us." "Why did you break up?" "Probably the same reason that you did." Puck said smiling slightly
"How long ago was this?" She asked.
"Well, we were together for three years. I broke it off with her maybe six months ago?" He frowned, trying to recall how long it had been.
"Can I ask who it was, was she mortal or Everafter?" Sabrina pried, continuing to dig for whatever ammunition she could find on her new nemesis.
"Everafter. I wasn't going to marry someone if they were just going to die while a remain my same age forever! I wanted to marry someone compatible with me!" He said
"To be honest, I never pegged you for the marrying type at all. I tried to picture you with some of the girls in school with us, and I just never could. No offense." She finished lamely
"It's because none of them were you." He replied shrugging, "After you told me that we were married in the future, it was hard for me to feel like I could possibly be with someone else."
"Wait. You only thought that because I told you we get married in the future, would you have felt we needed to be together if I hadn't told you that?" She demanded, feeling her temper rising very quickly. He rolled his eyes,
"Oh relax, I wanted to marry you way before then." He replied
"Well then when!?" she asked, he thought about it for a moment
"There were several times when I knew I cared about you, I didn't think it was love, but I knew I wanted to protect you and be with you. But I guess the moment I knew I wanted to be with you… Was probably the time I stepped between you and the Jabberwocky the first time, not the second." He said smiling at her slightly
"There were so many times that you could have died, but I knew then that I was going to go crazy if something happened to you, so that's why I fought the Jabberwocky, I never thought that I had a chance against that beast, but I couldn't just watch you die." Puck said, as though horrified by the thought.
"Well, how do you think that I would feel if you had been killed?!" Sabrina demanded angrily.
"Excuse me miss, I'm an Everafter! I'm ninety percent immortal."
"Ninety yes, a hundred, no. that's one of the few ways that you can die. Idiot." Sabrina snapped irked.
"Oh, stop snapping at me!"
"Hypocrite." Sabrina retorted angrily. Puck sighed and leaned back against the rock exposures behind him. As they sat there talking, more time passing then they had anticipated, they watched the sun setting over the ocean, the bright red light illuminating the water below it.